ocean acidification

You already know that rapid loss of Arctic glaciers and ice sheets is helping to speed up the sea level rise that is causing worsening coastal flooding in communities from Maine to Miami. And you probably even know that warming in the Arctic seems to be driving changes to the weather patterns elsewhere on the globe. (If both these things have passed you by, you need to read the recent blog by my colleague Brenda Ekwurzel.) Read more >

Like much of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon is facing the risk of a bad wildfire season this summer. With 86 percent of the state in drought and 34 percent experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions, Governor Kate Brown has declared a drought emergency for 15 counties. The state’s May water supply outlook predicts that, with sixty percent of the monitoring sites setting records for the lowest peak snowpack levels in 30 years, it is likely that there will be water shortages this summer. Capping carbon emissions, as proposed in HB 3470, is an important contribution Oregon can make toward limiting future climate risks, including from drought and wildfires. Read more >

When Secretary of State John Kerry was appointed to be our top diplomat, he told his staff at State that he wanted to take stronger international action to conserve and manage the oceans. This week, the Secretary is holding an international conference in Washington as a signature event fulfilling that commitment. Read more >

Tonight more than two dozen Members of Congress from the Senate Climate Action Task Force will be holding the Senate floor to discuss global warming. A number of them are expected to participate throughout the night. Here are some startling climate facts that keep me up at night: Read more >